An
Opportunity to Practice Presentation
Hannah Jaris ’09, who worked with Laura Katz, professor
of biological sciences, presents her poster on "Genetic
Diversity of Ciliates in Coast Sediment" at Celebrating
Collaborations 2008. |
Giving an effective public
presentation—one
that is concise, informative and at least a little entertaining—is
an art that requires a set of skills not easily obtained.
For most, gaining comfort in making presentations comes only
from making presentations.
Partly with that goal
in mind, nearly 250 Smith students from all classes will
hone their presentation skills during “Celebrating
Collaborations: Students and Faculty Working Together,” a
showcase of work resulting from collaborations between students
and faculty members.
This year’s event
will take place on Saturday, April 18, from 8 a.m. to 4
p.m. in various campus locations. The event is free, open
to the public and wheelchair-accessible.
In the opportunity it
affords students in all disciplines and levels to develop
presentation skills, “Celebrating
Collaborations” is a unique event within the undergraduate
curriculum. Now in its eighth year, Smith’s showcase
has become a model for similar events at peer institutions.
Students will present
in a range of categories, including the sciences, literature,
performing arts, sociology and language studies. The presentations—representing senior
theses, independent study and research—will begin at
8:30 a.m. with a science poster session in the Smith College
Campus Center, second floor. Subsequent sessions will take
place in various locations from 10:45 a.m. to noon, 1:30
to 2:30 p.m., and 2:45 to 4 p.m.
.
Participating students
will have an opportunity to rehearse their presentations
during a series of preparatory workshops the week before
the event, hosted by faculty and staff members. There,
they can glean methods for “How to Jazz Up Your
PowerPoint Presentation with Animations and Transitions,” for
example, “Creating and Delivering Effective Presentations,” and “Presentation
Presence: Breathing, Posture, Projection.”
Behind the presentations
by students in “Celebrating
Collaborations” is the cooperative guidance of more
than one hundred Smith faculty members. And while some of
the presentation titles, especially in science and technology,
reflect highly technical subject matter, others are pertinent
to modern social and psychological issues.
Consider these titles
from the morning science poster session: “Have
Rail Trails Increased the Value of Your Home?” a presentation
by sophomore Ella Hartenian and first-year student Tanya
Hakim; “Ethnic Differences in How Mothers Describe
Their Children,” by senior Wendy Roman; and “I’m
a Perfectionist! Can I Blame My Parents?” by senior
Shana Dooley and junior Emma Thomas.
Some of the science-related
research may have important impact on current problems. “The Effects of Jet Lag
and Shift Work on Sleep: How Shifting Light Dark Cycles Affect
Sleeping Patterns in Mice” is a poster presentation
by sophomores Alayna Liptak and Tsz Wong, and junior Catherine
Castillo; and “Comparing Children’s Views of
the ’04 and ’08 Presidential Elections,” a
study by first-year Monika Valecic and sophomore Sarah Billian.
Afternoon sessions range
from “Hollywood News: The
Image of Broadcast News on Film” by graduate student
Sarah Padioleau, to “The Unique Gentrification in Northampton” by
seniors Annie Rosen and Kaden Fund. Several performances
of music, poetry and dance accompany the presentations throughout
the day.
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